Hot Cloud Storage Without the Headaches
Drew Schlussel is Senior Director of Product Marketing at Wasabi Technologies, and he knows a thing or two (or twenty years’ worth) about storage, cybersecurity, data protection, and virtualization. Simply put: he’s seen it all, broken it down, and helped countless teams make better tech choices.
At Wasabi, Drew is all about showing people the real deal behind Cloud 2.0—fast, secure, affordable cloud storage with no sneaky fees or vendor traps.
Why “Good Enough” Storage Isn’t Good Enough Anymore
When it comes to cloud storage, many IT teams settle for “good enough.” But in 2025, where ransomware and surprise cloud bills go hand in hand, that mindset can cost you big.
At Ditch the Drama, Drew broke down exactly why Wasabi’s Hot Cloud Storage changes the game—making cloud storage faster, more secure, and most importantly, predictable.
With over two decades of experience in storage, data protection, and cybersecurity, Drew’s message was clear: you shouldn’t have to pay a premium just to get your data back.
Why “Hot Cloud Storage” Actually Matters
Most cloud storage providers have complex tiering structures. Think AWS with its dozen different storage tiers—each with unique access speeds, costs, and unknowns.
Wasabi? Just one tier. Always hot.
- No egress fees
- No hidden costs
- No guessing games
This means when the pressure is on and your boss is breathing down your neck asking, “How long will it take to recover?”—you actually have an answer.
Because speed of recovery shouldn’t be a luxury—it should be your default.
Storage Is Security—And Most Teams Are Missing It
Drew didn’t just talk cost savings. He introduced the concept of “storage as security”—a layered defense that goes beyond firewalls.
Yes, you need encryption in flight and at rest. But account-level protection is where many teams fall short.
Wasabi’s multi-user authorization ensures no single person can issue a destructive command like deleting your entire backup. It’s a defense against social engineering, insider threats, and plain human error.
Think of it as social paranoia for the greater good.
Keep It Simple, Storage Admins (KISS)
Complexity is the enemy of resilience. Drew called out the trap of overcomplicating storage strategies with too many buckets, tiers, and manual rules.
His advice?
- Automate tagging and backup workflows
- Test everything—often
- Prioritize simplicity, predictability, and muscle memory
Because when disaster strikes, you don’t want a checklist, you want reflexes.
Backup Is Only Half the Battle
Recovery is where most teams stumble. Drew shared that many orgs can’t even test recovery more than once or twice a year—and often leave out key team members in those drills.
Real-world testing means:
- Practicing without your lead engineer
- Simulating access failures
- Testing cloud-to-cloud recoveries
- Validating your entire environment—not just spinning up a server
Wasabi is built for that level of performance and supports direct connections and fast recovery speeds—because restore performance is a core part of meeting your RTO.
Final Advice from Drew? Talk to N2W.
Drew wrapped his session by emphasizing the importance of partnerships like Wasabi + N2W. Together, they deliver hot cloud storage with bulletproof backup and recovery architecture.
No more overpaying for long-term storage. No more guesswork. With built-in cost visibility and forecasting tools, you can show your C-level exactly where the savings are—today and tomorrow.
It’s time to stop cutting corners on backup just to avoid surprise bills. Predictable. Secure. Automated. Reliable. That’s what ditching the drama really looks like.
N2W—available with Wasabi integration now. Try it out today
See Drew’s full session:
